I love to read about families in the Bible. How did early families interact with each other? What was the father’s role in the home versus the mother’s? How did families worship in the Old Testament versus after Christ came and started the Church age? All these things are intriguing to me. I want to model my family as closely as possible to the godly families in the Bible. Why? Because if Christ commanded a family to be put together a certain way in scripture, he doesn’t change his mind about how it should be done simply because it’s 2021, and culture has changed. Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not…”
What is the common thread of all successful Biblical families?
They keep God and His word close to their hearts.
An example of a Biblical family who kept God’s word in their heart, and chose to live by His words
In Matthew 1 we read about the earthly genealogy of Christ. Before Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary were engaged to be married. They had never “known” one another, as the Bible says, and yet she becomes with child. (In modern language – even though they weren’t married, and she had never been with a man, she got pregnant!) Joseph, being the good man he was, didn’t want her to be made a public example and an embarrassment, so he thought about hiding her away until the baby was born. The Bible says “While he thought on these things…” (Matthew 1:20) an angel spoke to him and instructed him to take Mary as his wife without fear, and reassured him that the baby which she conceived was that of the Holy Ghost. So what did Joseph do? Without hesitation, he obeyed the word of God, and took Mary to be his wife.
In Luke 2, soon after Jesus was born, we encounter the “manager scene”. Mary watches as shepherds and angels alike come to worship her baby boy. After experiencing the fullness of this great miracle that has just happened through her, it says in verse 19:
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:19
Again later in the same chapter, Jesus has grown, and at 12 years old his family makes a trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover (as they did every year). On the way back, Jesus’ parents discover he is no longer among the crowd of family and friends. Returning to find him, they discover him in the midst of very wise men, having very mature conversations. His mother begins to tell him how sorrowful she was that she couldn’t find him, and his response was simply to ask her why she bothered to seek for him in the first place, and to remind her that he has to do the work of his Father, God. That was a tough pill for Mary to swallow, no doubt. Her baby boy, now a maturing young man, reminding her that he has a mission and purpose for being on Earth, and basically informing her she was interrupting that by coming after him. Even though Jesus still went with his parents, and was subject unto them, Mary now forever knew there would be times she would have to take a backseat as his mother to what the will of God was for his life.
And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
Luke 2:50-51
What is the impact of hiding God’s words in our heart?
- Our sinfulness should decrease, and godliness should increase. Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” When we focus and ponder on the word of God, we can’t help but desire to please him.
- Our life should produce good things, not evil things. Matthew 12:35 “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” When evil is sown in our hearts, we reap it in our daily lives. Plant good things in your heart, so you can reap good things, and share the good with others.
- A divided heart only causes confusion and chaos. Ecclesiastes 1:17 “And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.” Giving place to the devil and his madness and folly, while also trying to claim to be a Christian is a hypocritical, chaotic, exhausting life. Just give your whole heart to Him!